DALLAS, June 6, 2024 (BSS)-Bangladesh were reluctant to call another pacer to
replace the left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam who was injured during the practice
game against India on June 1.

Shoriful who got injured on his bowling hand while saving the straight drive
of Hardik Pandya needed six stitches, which made him unavailable in the World
Cup.

"His injury is a massive concern for us," said chief selector Gazi Ashraf
Hossain Lipu. "He needed six stitches on his hand. We need to take time to
assess his recovery process."

Even though he has no chance to play the match against Sri Lanka, Shoriful
came to the practice in Dallas.

Since pacer Hasan Mahmud is with the team as the travelling reserve,
Bangladesh might use his service in the place of Shoriful if needed.

"Hasan Mahmud is with us as travelling reserve. We are keen to get Shoriful's
service because he has been doing well for us consistently," Ashraf remarked.

"We will assess Shoriful's condition on June 9 after which we'll take the
final call. We are eager to see how swiftly he recovers."

It is expected Shoriful will recover ahead of the Super 8 phase but it is to
see if Bangladesh overcome the group fixture hurdle.